Police Chase Possibly Drunk Jeep Driver from Carlsbad to National City

A possibly intoxicated driver fled a police stop in Carlsbad, continued evading law enforcement after his vehicle’s tire was flattened on a San Diego freeway and was finally stopped when an officer rammed his SUV Monday morning in National City.

A Carlsbad Police Department officer attempted to stop the 2007 Jeep Liberty around 2 a.m. on Paseo Del Norte for a broken or non-functioning brake light and suspicion of driving under the influence, California Highway Patrol Officer Tommy Doerr said. But the Jeep did not yield and the driver instead got on Interstate 5 south toward San Diego from Palomar Airport Road.

CHP officers took over the chase, which reached speeds of about 75 mph, around the time when the Jeep’s driver split off the I-5 toward southbound Interstate 805, Doerr said. A spike strip flattened the SUV’s front right tire between just south of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, which slowed the Jeep but did not stop it.

After police chased the driver another 12 miles or so into National City, a CHP officer rammed the Jeep using a PIT maneuver, a technique designed to bring vehicle pursuits to an end, Doerr said. The maneuver ended the chase about 2:35 a.m. without injuries to the driver or any officers.

The driver, later identified as 39-year-old Vista resident Cameron L. Trask, was arrested after the officer-initiated collision without further incident, Doerr said. Trask is to be booked into jail Monday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear what charges he could face.

FOX5 reported that Trask called law enforcement authorities during the pursuit and claimed he did not stop because he was afraid of police.

— City News Service

Police Chase Possibly Drunk Jeep Driver from Carlsbad to National City was last modified: February 12th, 2018 by Chris Jennewein

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